How To Plant Hosta Seeds

Hostas are easy to grow plants from seeds and easy to maintain, making them a popular plant among gardeners.

If you want to store your Hosta seeds until next spring, you need to put them in the refrigerator, in a jar for the winter.

In nature, seeds require certain conditions in order to germinate. In order for the stratification of seeds to be successful, it is necessary to mimic the exact conditions that they require when breaking dormancy in nature. 

The Hosta seeds will need stratification– (refrigerating for a couple weeks) before planting. 

Growing Hosta seeds is a simple procedure.

Hosta seeds sprout nicely indoors, under normal house conditions, with temperatures running 60 - 70F. Use a "peaty" starter mix and just lightly cover the seed with peat moss. Keep the seed moist but not saturated until germination. Sow seeds 8-10 weeks before frost season ends. Hosta care includes keeping the plant moist throughout the hot months of the summer. As a rule, they need 1 inch of water every week.

 

Guide on How to Plant Hosta Seeds:

Step 1 - Plant the Seeds

Take a container and fill it with moist potting soil. A mix that holds moisture, yet is free draining and loose, is ideal for Hostas. Pick up a handful of seeds and scatter them in the container, about half an inch deep. Put the container in a location in your home that receives light. Do not keep the container in direct sunlight.

Step 2 - Care for the Seeds

• Keep the soil moist, but not soaked, throughout the growing process. During the germination process, make sure Hosta receive enough water. Mist the soil with a spray bottle filled with water to prevent seeds to scatter.
• Hosta seeds germinate in 2 to 8 weeks. This is mainly dependent on temperature. 
• When leaves start growing through the soil, mist the leaves with a spray bottle filled with water.
• When the seedlings start to grow about 2 or 3 leaves each, remove any plants that are poorly developed, leaving the healthy ones in the soil.

Step 3 - Transplant the Seedlings

• Take the healthy plants once they reach a good size and put them in individual pots. Make sure the pots contain moist potting soil.
• After the seedlings have been transplanted to individual pots, water the plants by misting them as before.
• Let the plants grow until they are about 4 or 6 inches tall.
• Once the plants are big enough, transplant them outside in soil that has been drained. Well-drained soil is important when you're watering the plants, remember to keep the soil moist but don't saturate it.

Hosta is a wonder­ful mix of hand­some varie­ties, growing from 12 to 30 in. tall. Some plants will produce blue or green leaves, others will be gold or variegated. 

Hosta are divided into fast growing, moderate, and slow-growing groups. The slow-growing varieties take up to eight years to mature and tend to be larger overall, while the fast-growing varieties take two to three years to mature and tend to be smaller.

 

GERMINATING HOSTA IN A TRAY METHOD

 

GERMINATING HOSTA IN A PAPER TOWEL METHOD